The Supreme Court of Pakistan, led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, is set to hear appeals filed by former president Pervez Musharraf against his 2019 death sentence.
The four-member bench, including CJP Isa, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, and Justice Athar Minallah, will review the appeals about the sentence handed to Musharraf in December 2019.
Pervez Musharraf, the former president of Pakistan, was sentenced to death under Article 6 of the Constitution for high treason. A special court issued this verdict for his unconstitutional actions in imposing an emergency in November 2007. Since leaving Pakistan for medical treatment in the UAE in 2016, Musharraf passed away in Dubai in February 2023 and was later buried in Karachi.
During the recent hearing, CJP Isa expressed concern over the delay in addressing the cases from 2019. Musharraf’s lawyer, Salman Safdar, explained that the registrar’s office had objected to hearing the appeal because a convicted individual must first surrender to the court. After an in-chamber hearing, the apex court directed that the appeal be heard in an open court.
Responding to CJP Isa’s inquiries, Safdar informed that the appeal was being heard for the first time today. He emphasized the right of a convicted individual to have their appeal heard before the execution of a death sentence.
Safdar also pointed out that the special court’s verdict was not unanimous and that Musharraf was sentenced in absentia. The court, recognizing the gravity of the situation, approved Musharraf’s appeal against his death sentence and issued notices to relevant parties, adjourning the hearing until November 21.
